Cupboard catch



H, QUIGLEY ET AL CUPBOARD CATCH Filed Oct. 2l, 1944 ornegg H arman Tex eer Patented Oct. 22, 17946 CUPBOABD CATCH Herbert Quigley and Herman Ter Meer, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignors to National Brass Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application October 21, 1944, Serial No. 559,816

4 Claims. 1

This invention is directed to the production of a practical, simple, effective and durable latch of the type known as a cupboard latch which may be used on the doors of kitchen cabinets, cupboards and the like.

Among the objects and purposes of the present invention are the production of a latch ofthe type specified, made of sheet metal parts which are economically and expeditiously produced and assembled and with which a secure holding of the door in closed position is obtained, and with the production of a tighter grip of the latch upon its keeper when any force is applied to the door in a direction tending to cause its opening, so that the latch is disconnectable only by manual operation of the handle portion thereof provided for disengaging the latch from its keeper. Economy in production, simplicity in structure and special effectiveness in operation are objects of this invention as will appear from an understanding thereof had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the latch substantially on the plane of line I--i oi Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section substantially on the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. I looking to the right.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig l, with the latch disconnected from the keeper.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pivoted latch jaws, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the operating handle or plate therefor.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different ligures of the drawing.

In the latch construction, a housing or casing of sheet metal is provided having what may be termed a front side I, a back side 2 parallel therewith, a top 3 integrally connected with said iront and back and ends ll, the side of thev housing opposite the top 3 being open. From the back 2 a flange 5 is turned at right angles to lie against the outer face of and near the free vertical edge of a door Ii of a cupboard, cabinet or the like, which door is normally hinged in the usual manner for swinging between open and closed position and vice versa, in its closed position having an overlapping riser, as shown in Fig. 2, which bears against the face of the door jamb or casing 'i adjacent the edges of the opening in the case or cabinet to be closed by the door Ii.

The keeper is permanently secured to the door jamb or frame 1. It is made from sheet metal, having a flat foot-piece 8 preferably screw connected to the outer side of the door casing 1 and from which, at one edge, a post a is turned at right angles. The post 9 when the latch is closed is adapted to enter the open inner side of the casing or housing described substantially midway between the front and back l and 2 as shown in 2. Said post is narrowed at a distance from the foot portion 8, as indicated at |53, and then formed into a head i I which is wider than the narrow or neck portion I, and has inwardly converging inner edges i2 joining with the sides of the neck portion iii, while at its free end it has converging edges I3 as shown.

Within the housing two pivotally mounted jaw members are located. Each is made from sheet metal having a side I4 from which at the free end thereof a jaw I5 is turned at right angles. At its opposite end a flange 55a is turned at right angles substantially paraileling the jaw l5 and said ange I5a is return bent at right angies to provide an ear I6 shorter than the side Ill. Tailpiece I1 is integral with the flange a and eX- tends laterally therefrom at one side edge and is bent at an angle thereto as shown.

The two jaw members are placed together as shown in Fig. 4, with the ears I6 on one jaw member located at the inner side of the side i4 of the other jaw member. Alinedopenings are made through the sides Hl and ears i6 for the passage of a pivot pin i8 which is riveted over at its ends at the outer sides of the front and back of the housing or casing. A coiled spring i9 is located around the pin I8 between the ears l@ and has end arms 2Q extending in opposite directions, one under the bend between each ilange |50. and tailpiece Il, as in Fig. 3. The force of the spring is exerted to normally turn the jaws E5 toward each other thereby bringing the flanges l5@ together, said flanges Iiia coming into edge abutting contact, as in Fig. 3 to hold the jaws l5 partially separated when the latch jaws are disconnected from the keeper.

When the door is moved to closed position the inner adjacent edges of the jaws I5 engage the inclined edges E3 of the keeper, being initially held separated a sufcient distance that they pass to either side of the nose of the keeper and ride against said edges I3, passing along the parallel side edges of the head I I of the keeper and thence underneath the inclined edges l2 of the head (Fig. 1). The inner faces of the jaws I5 bear against said edges I2 of' the keeper head and. the force of the spring is exerted to move said jaws toward each other with the exertion of a camming action on the jaws which causes the door to be held tightly closed. Any force which may act on the door tending 'to open it with the jaws of the latch engaged with keeper head Il is ineffective to move the door, as there is no component of such force which can be resolved in a direction to turn the jaw members away from each other about the pivot pin I8.

For manual release of the latch from the keeper an operating handle member is provided, comprising a plate 2| of sheet metal which at one of its edges is extended to provide two spaced apart angles having legs 22 and 23 at right angles to each other, said legs 22 being in substantially the same plane as the plate 2l and from the inner edges of each of which a tongue 24 extends as shown. Initially the tongues 24 are turned to parallel the legs 23. With such initial shape the angle members 22-23 and the tongues 24 may be passed through channel slots 25 cut in the back 2 of the housing or casing immediately within the top 3 (Figs. 1 and 3). After this has been done the tongues 24 are bent toward the top 3 of the housing, as shown, thereby locking the operating member against disengagement, but permitting a limited pivotal movement in the slots 25. Said angle extensions 22-23 lie over the tail-pieces l1. With the latch engaged with the keeper, as in Fig. 1, an engagement against the inner side and at the outer end of the plate 2| will move the legs 23 into contact with said tailpieces I1 and turn them about the pivot pin I8 to separate the jaws l5 from each other a distance sufficient to disengage from the head Il of the keeper. The door is thereupon opened. Upon closing the `door the latch jaws automatically ily formed in large quantities by use of suitable dies, the assembly is quick and easy, the jaw members are identical in shape and require one series of dies for making both. The attachment to the door and door jamb of the latch and its keeper is simple and easy. The latch construction has proven particularly eifective, economical to produce, durable in service and with it an insurance against accidental opening of the door is had.

The claims appended hereto denne the invention which is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim:

1. A latch construction comprising, a housing having an opening at one side at which side a keeper is adapted to enter said housing, a pair of jaw members pivotally mounted to turn about a common axis within said housing, said axis being substantially parallel to the plane of said opening, said jaw members each having a jaw at one end thereof adapted to engage a keeper at opposite sides thereof, spring means acting on said jaw members to normally move the jaws toward each other, each of said jaw members at the end thereof opposite where the jaws are located having a laterally extended tail-piece, and manually operable means extending through a side of the housing and pivotally mounted'thereon for engaging said tail-pieces on operation of said means to swing said jaw members to move the jaws away from each other.

2. A latch construction comprising, a housing adapted to be secured to a door and having an opening at a, side adapted to be presented to a door jamb when the door is in engagement therewith and receive a keeper connected to said door jamb, said keeper extending into the housing through said opening, two jaw members, each of said jaw members comprising a side, a jaw turned substantially at right angles from one end of said side of each jaw member, a flange turned in the same direction from the other end of said side of each jaw member and an ear bent from said flange parallel t0 the side of its respective jaw member, said jaw members being located one with the side thereof against the inner side of a side of said housing and the other against the inner side of the opposite side of said housing, a pivot pin passing through said sides and ears of the jaw members and carried by opposite sides of the housing, each of said jaw members having a tailpiece extending outwardly from said ange portion thereof, and spring means mounted on said pivot and having end portions passing underneath Said flanges and tail-pieces and engaging thereagainst operating to move the jaws of said jaw members toward each other until adjacent edges of said anges come into contact stopping said jaws of the jaw members at their adjacent edges at a short distance from each other.

3. A construction as defined in claim 2, and a plate located at the outer side of said housing and provided with spaced extensions at one side thereof, said side of the housing having slots through which said extensions pass, said extensions to said plate lying between an adjacent side of the housing and said tail-pieces of the jaw members.

4. In a latch, a housing having an opening adapted to receive a keeper, a pair of jaws pivoted in said housing and each having a keeper engaging member, spring means to move said jaws toward each other, laterally extending handle engaging members on said jaws and a handle movably mounted on said housing and having a portion engaging said handle engaging members acting to separate the jaws on operation of the handle.

HERBERT QUIGLEY. HERMAN TER MEER. 

